2.1.1 Prevalence of undernourishment — Value in Southern Africa
Southern Africa: 2.1.1 Prevalence of undernourishment — Value was 12.3 % in 2025. ▲ Rising
2.1.1 Prevalence of undernourishment — Value in Southern Africa, 2000–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
Southern Africa recorded 12.3 % for 2.1.1 prevalence of undernourishment — value in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 61.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, 2.1.1 prevalence of undernourishment — value in Southern Africa peaked at 12.3 % in 2025 and was at its lowest, 4.7 %, in 2005.
That places Southern Africa 9th out of 25 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
2.1.1 Prevalence of undernourishment — Value in Southern Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.1 % | — |
| 2001 | 4.8 % | -5.9% |
| 2002 | 5.1 % | +6.2% |
| 2003 | 4.9 % | -3.9% |
| 2004 | 4.8 % | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 4.7 % | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 5.1 % | +8.5% |
| 2007 | 5.2 % | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 5.2 % | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 5.3 % | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 6.4 % | +20.8% |
| 2011 | 6.4 % | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 6 % | -6.3% |
| 2013 | 6.3 % | +5.0% |
| 2014 | 6.9 % | +9.5% |
| 2015 | 7.6 % | +10.1% |
| 2016 | 7.3 % | -3.9% |
| 2017 | 7 % | -4.1% |
| 2018 | 7.3 % | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 7.9 % | +8.2% |
| 2020 | 9.7 % | +22.8% |
| 2021 | 11.3 % | +16.5% |
| 2022 | 10.4 % | -8.0% |
| 2023 | 11.3 % | +8.7% |
| 2024 | 12.1 % | +7.1% |
| 2025 | 12.3 % | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.02 % | 4.7 % | 5.3 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.91 % | 6 % | 7.9 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.18 % | 9.7 % | 12.3 % | 6 |
Countries ranked near Southern Africa
- 6 Kenya 34.9 % compare
- 7 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 19.5 % compare
- 7 Chad 33.6 % compare
- 8 Papua New Guinea 30.5 % compare
- 8 United Republic of Tanzania 19.1 % compare
- 9 Central African Republic 29.8 % compare
- 9 Timor-Leste 16.9 % compare
- 10 Afghanistan 27.8 % compare
- 11 Côte d'Ivoire 11.4 % compare
- 11 Lao People's Democratic Republic 10 % compare
- 11 Solomon Islands 27 % compare
- 12 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 6.7 % compare
- 12 Sierra Leone 25.3 % compare
More economy & growth data for Southern Africa
- Gross Domestic Product, GDP in millions constant 2021 international $ 1.01 million (2027)
- Gross Domestic Product — Value US$ 437,021 million USD (2024)
- Gross Fixed Capital Formation — Share of GDP US$ 15.7 % (2024)
- Gross Domestic Product — Value US$ per capita 5,975 USD (2024)
- Gross Domestic Product — Value US$ per capita, 2015 prices 5,489 USD (2024)
- Gross Domestic Product — Value US$, 2015 prices 401,475 million USD (2024)
- Gross Domestic Product — Annual growth US$ 5 % (2024)
- Gross Domestic Product — Annual growth US$ per capita 3.65 % (2024)
- Gross Fixed Capital Formation — Annual growth US$ 2.74 % (2024)
- Gross Fixed Capital Formation — Share of GDP US$, 2015 prices 15.36 % (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is 2.1.1 prevalence of undernourishment — value in Southern Africa?
- 2.1.1 prevalence of undernourishment — value in Southern Africa was 12.3 % in 2025, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest 2.1.1 prevalence of undernourishment — value recorded in Southern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 12.3 % in 2025.
- What is the lowest 2.1.1 prevalence of undernourishment — value recorded in Southern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.7 % in 2005.
- How does Southern Africa rank for 2.1.1 prevalence of undernourishment — value?
- Southern Africa ranks 9th out of 25 groups with data for 2025.
- Is 2.1.1 prevalence of undernourishment — value rising or falling in Southern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 61.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Southern Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of 2.1.1 Prevalence of undernourishment — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
As the custodian agency of 22 SDG indicators, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is responsible for curating and refining the methodologies of these indicators, collecting data from national sources, ensuring their quality and compatibility with applicable standards and classifications, and disseminating data at global level. This FAOSTAT domain complements the global SDG database administered by the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD), as well as FAO’s SDG indicators portal, by providing access to the available data for all SDG Indicators under FAO custodianship. While this metadata page provides summary information on all SDG indicators data disseminated through FAOSTAT, indicator-specific metadata can be accessed from the link on the right hand navigation column. This additional metadata file provides details on the methodology used to compile each indicators, their data sources and the contact information of the relevant FAO focal point. It includes the links to the official SDG Indicator metadata documents accessible from the UNSD global SDG database.SDG Indicators under FAO custodianship, consisting of 22 indicators and 66 series that fall under six goals: • Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.• Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.• Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.• Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production.• Goal 14: Life below water: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.• Goal 15: Life on land: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss.